Combined electrode and stirring device



' S. A. W. OKELL COMBINED ELECTRODE AND STIRRING DEVICE Filed Jan. 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 J, INENTOR. 312M117, /u/(( ATTORNEY 4 Aug. 14, 1928. v 1,680,630

S. A. W. OKELL COMBINED ELECTRODE AND STIRRING DEVICE Filed Jan. 5, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. 9% d 0W- BY QQLMA' ATTORNEY Patented .Aug. 14, 1928.

* UNITED STATES a I 1,680,630 I PATENT OFFICE.

STANLEY A. OKELLOF ORANFORD, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO INDUSTRIAL CHEMI- CAL COMPANY, OF YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

COMBINED ELECTRODE AND STIRRING DEVICE.

Application filed January 3, 1927. Serial No. 158,501.

This invention relates generally to the construction of electrodes for electric furnaces of the resistor type.

In the treatment of material in electric 6 resistor furnaces, such as that disclosed in application, Serial No. 537,571, filed Feb. 18, 1922, by Wickenden and myself, ofwhich this application is a continuation in part as.

to subject matter disclosed therein that is my sole invention, a combined electrode and agitating member is provided to transmit current to the charge and at the same time provide a desirable agitating action.

It is a general object of the present invention to provide'an improved combined electrode and agitating member which will fulfill the requirements referred to. Withthis and other objects in view, I have provided an electrode structure which comprises a disc-like member formed of cast iron or any other suitable electrically conductive and heat resistant material mounted to rotate on a vertical axis in the lower end of a furnace chamber. The rotatable member is equipped with radially disposed flanges, provided with gas discharge nozzles, on its upper surface and with a scroll or spiral flange member, on its under surface. The spiral flange acts to feed outwardly any material which finds its way beneath the disc and thereby prevents the accumulation of material at a point where interference withthe rotation of the disc might result.

An important feature of the invention resides in the adapting of the electrode memher as a means for agitating the material by discharging blasts of gas directly into the mass. This is achieved by the provision of discharge nozzles in the rear faces of the radially disposed flanges carried by the upper surface of the rotatable electrode, the flanges and the electrode shaft havin a hollow construction to provide for the delivery of gas to the nozzle openings.

Other features of the invention will be hereinafter referred to.

In the drawings, in which a preferredembodiment of the invention has been selected for illustration:

Figure 1 is a view in vertical section of an electric resistor furnace equipped with an electrode structure embodying the invention;

Figure 2 is a plan view, on an enlarged scale and with parts shown in section, of the electrode structureshown in Figure 15 Figure 3 is a view partly in side elevation and partly in vertical section taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 1.

. Referring to the drawings for a more detailed description of' the invention, in Fig- 00 ure 1 there is shown an electric furnace 10 of the resistor type in which an upper electrode 11 cooperates Wit-h a lower electrode 12 to bring about the passage of current through the charge 13 to produce the desired 05 treatment thereon. The furnace 10 is of the vertical or shaft type, the lower end of the furnace chamber 14 being substantially filled by the electrode 12 while the electrode 11 has radial projecting arms thereon which to extend practically throughout the cross sectional'area of the furnace chamber. The coextensiveness, thus brought about, between the electrode members and the bore or chamber of the furnace, provides for a desirable distribution of the contacting area of the electrodes with the material of the charge 13, thereby insuring the application of current to all parts of the mass. In its general organization, the construction shown follows an that of the prior application referred to, the electrode 11 being vertically movable within the removable cap member 15 while the lower electrode member 12 is mounted to rotate in its seat and at the same time provide as a stirring action of the material in the charge through the discharge of gas into the mass.

While the electrode 12 is adapted for use in any situation where the engaged material an Y requires agitating or stirring, it is shown herewith in connection with thetreatment of decolorizingcarbon. This material is fed through the conduit 16 into the chamber and is dischar ed from the chamber through the an chute 17 through the action of moving gases which are injected into the furnace chamber by way of the electrode member 12 which forms a gas transmitting medium for the purpose. The electrode member 12 has a we disc-like formation, as is clearly shown in. Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawings. The body portion or disc 18 is provided on its upper or material engaging surface with radially extending flange members 19. The rearnot ward or trailing faces of the radially extending stirring parts 19 are provided withnozzle openings 20 through which gases are blown intothe material in the charge.

The gases supplied through the nozzle tile agitate or stir the material of the charge.

the gases may exercise a secondary eflect such as a'reducing or an oxidizing action on the material.

In order to provide for the discharge of gas through the nozzle openings 20, the stirring flange members 19 are cored out longitudinally, as is indicated at 21 in Figure 2 of the drawing. lihe elongated passages 21 communicate at their junction with a vertically extending passageway 22 formed in the standard or hub portion 23 of the electrode member. The hub portion 23 terminates at its lower end in a flange 24 which is atta-ched to the upper end of a shaft 27; The shaft 27 passes through the floor portion 26 of the furnace and through a bearing member 25. The shaft carries a beveli gear 28 meshing with a bevel pinion 29 carried by a drive shaft 30. An extension 31 of the tubular member 27 terminates in a gland or stuffing box 32 to which is connected a conduit'33 through which the desired gas is delivered-into the tubular sections 31 and 27 to find its way through the passages of the electrode structure to the points of discharge at the nozzle openings v20. Withthis arrangement, it will be seen that the tubular section 31 together with the electrode 12 is rotated through the driving action of the pinion 29,'the lower end of the tubular section 31 rotating freely in the stuffing box 32*for this purpose.

Not only does the chain of parts described, which connect the conduit 33 with the electrode 12, provide for the rotation of the electrode in the floor structure 26 of the furnace, but these parts also form a conductor for current which is applied b means of the conductor 34 to flow throug the charge of material 13 to the electrode 11 which has an electrical'conductor 35 con nected thereto to complete the circuit.

In addition to' the flange members 19, which are provided on the upper face of the electrode for discharging streams of gas into the charge of material, the disc body member. 18 of the electrode structure is provided on its under surface with a spiral or scroll shapedflange member- 36, which, in the r01.

tation of the electrode, functions to force material radially outward toward the walls of the furnace and thereby prevent the accumulation of material beneath the electrode. I find that this feature of the invention is extremely useful in practice since, without the clearing flange structure, material tends to accumulate beneath the electrode and interfere with the. rotation and effective operation thereof...- v It will thus'be' seen that in the same structure I combine an electrode, a member for discharging gas to agitate the material undergoing treatment, and a clearing device acedcec for preventing the excessive accumulation of material on the floor of the furnace in a zone where electric current is not available for treatment of the material.

Another practical advantage of the strucnozzle 0 enings may be successively in spected t rough the door as the electrode member is turned, the nozzles on any given flange being movable into position immediately facing the door opening.

The terms and expressions which I have employed are used as terms ofdescription an not of limitation, and I have no intention, in the use of such terms and expressions,-of excluding any mechanical equivalents of the features shown and described, or portions thereof, but recognize that various structural modifications are possible within the scope of the invention claimed.

What I claim is:

1. In a material stirring device, a receptacle providing a chamber in which to place the material to be treated, a rotatable discshaped niember mounted in the lower part of the chamber and presenting a face in ings in their rear faces, and "means for rotat ing the member to cause the discharging gas to stir the engaged material.

2. In a material stirring device, a receptacle providing a chamber in which to place the material to be treated a rotatable discshaped member mounted in the lower part.

of the chamber and presenting a face in supporting engagement with material in the chamber, stirring flange members formed on the upper face of the disc-shaped member, a scroll shaped flange formed on the under face of the member, and means for rotating the disc-shaped member. a

3. In a material stirring device, a 'receptacle providing a vertically extending chamber in which to place the material to be treated a disc-shaped stirring member aving a depending shaft journaled in the floor of the chamber, said discshaped member having a diameter substantially equal to the diameter of the chamber and provided on its u'p per face with radially extending flanges provided with s discharge openings, and

means for rotatmg the disc-shaped member to cause the discharging gas to stir the engaged material.

1. In a material stirring device, a recep- 11a tacle providing a vertically extending chamber in which to place the material to be treated, a disc-shaped member having a depending hollow shaft journaled in the floor of the chamber, said discrshaped member having a diameter substantially equal to the diameter of the chamber with its upper face arranged in supporting engagement with the material, radially extending hollow flanges -on the upper face of the member, said flanges being provided with nozzle openings in their trailing faces, means for rotating the discshaped member, and means for supplying gas to the hollow shaft whereby to deliver the gas through said nozzle openings into the mass of material.

-5. In an electric furnace construction having a vertically disposed chamber with an electrode supported in the upper end of the chamber, a rotatable discshaped electrode member having a depending hollow shaft journaled in the lower end wall of the'chamher, said disc-shaped electrode member being provided on its upper surface with radially extending hollow flange members, said flange members being provided in their trailing faces with nozzle openings, the under face of said disc-shaped electrode being provided with a scroll shaped flange operable to move material radially outward, means for rotating the disc-shaped electrode member,

' means for suppl ing gas to the hollow shaft whereby to disc arge gas through said nozzle openings, and an electrical connection to said rotatable electrode member whereby to pass current through the engaged material.

6. In an electric furnace construction, a rotating electrode arranged to support a large portion of the charge and pass electricwcurrents therethrough, and means on the upper surface of said electrode for passing fluid therethrough to agitate the charge.

7. In an electric furnace construction, a rotating electrode adapted to support a large portion of the charge in the furnace and to agitate the same, and means on the under surface of said electrode for preventing excessive accumulation of the charge beneath the electrode.

8. In an electric furnace construction, a disc-shaped rotating electrode arranged to support a large portion of the charge, a cooperating electrode positioned above said rotating electrode and electrically connected therewith only by the charge supported on the first mentioned electrode, whereby to pass current through the charge while agitating the charge.

9. In an electric furnace construction, a rotating electrode in the lower portion of the furnace chamber contacting with the charge and arranged to pass electric current therethrough, said electrode being provided with means for passing gases through the charge while under treatment and with means for preventing excessive accumulation of the charge beneath the electrode.

, STANLEY A. W. OKELL. 

